Jamaican Villa Weddings
A Jamaican villa wedding can be the experience of a lifetime and at a cost less than that of a US based wedding or resort wedding. SunVillas offers some of the largest and finest fully staffed Jamaican vacation rental villas perfect for private weddings.
Waiting Period
A couple can be married just 24 hours after arriving in Jamaica providing they have applied for and have been granted a marriage license by the Ministry of National Security. Couples must submit proof of status (single, divorced, widowed) and establish identification.
Houses of Worship in Ocho Rios
- Ocho Rios Baptist (876) 972-2405
- St. John's Anglican (Episcopal) (876) 972-2305
- Methodist (876) 974-1420
- Our Lady of Fatima (Catholic) (876) 974-2384 (876) 972-2279, which has a beautiful location overlooking the sea.
- Church of God of Prophecy (876) 974-2902
- Prospect Plantation Chapel, private and very lovely.
Minimum Rental
A one-week minimum rental at the full villa rate is required for the villa where the wedding and associated events are to take place.
When to Hold the Ceremony
We recommend just prior to sunset...with the reception starting under the beautiful Jamaican sunset and growing into a romantic candlelight evening. Winter months sunset is around 6:00. Summer months, sunset is about 6:45. Schedule the ceremony 30 minutes earlier.
Group Size
Holding your wedding at a villa helps keep reception costs down. The villa staff can handle a reception party of the villa capacity (plus one or two additional guests). Whether a seated dinner or poolside buffet, the bride is only paying for the groceries for a menu upon which she and the cook agree. The cook will suggest various options, from merely finger food to a formal dinner.
For groups larger than the villa capacity we suggest working with a wedding coordinator who will help organizing the event. The general guidelines for larger functions are:
Dinners and receptions: Maximum of villa capacity (plus one or two additional guests) can be accommodated by the villa staff. Over that we require an outside caterer that can be organized by your wedding coordinator.
Parties and weddings: Permission must be obtained in advance. Each villa is somewhat different so we ask that you request our guidelines on the villa of your choice.
Surcharges: Some villas require a location fee or a per person surcharge for guests in excess of the normal capacity of the villa., and/or a damage deposit.
Location Fees:
Most of our villas have location fees based on the number of guests or a charge per guest. These costs can be found under each specific villa in the tab Features. In addition some have requirements for the lenght of stay and damage deposit.
A few properties do not allow weddings or other functions: A Summer Place, Amanoka, Rio Chico and Sundown.
The Wedding Cake
The Jamaican Wedding Cake is like a Christmas pudding, made with dried fruits such as prunes, raisins, dates, currants, cherries, etc. These fruits are finely chopped and marinated in wine and rum for weeks. This wonderful blend forms the base of your cake mixture. Fresh flowers and a white creamy frosting laced with rum top the cake. The Jamaican Wedding cake costs US$100 - 450, depending on the size. Other cake options would be white, chocolate or coconut cake or rum cake. Price for the plain cake would be approximately $200 for a two tier and $300 for a 3 tier cake.